The brief was to produce 500 words of creative writing based on a pop song. I decided to challenge myself by taking Smash Mouth’s “All Star”, pulling it apart word-by-word, and then piecing it back together to form a new narrative. I had to alter the punctuation to fit the new piece, but not a single letter was deleted, only moved somewhere else. Only a small few lines remain perfectly in-tact.
“Hey.
Break the mold.
Get your game on.
Differ.
Do.
Much to see.
Hit the ground running.
To
play,
and
play
well,
get
smart but
to the rules,
not to
the
stars.”
Well, the
smart
start
taking
back;
and they don’t stop,
We could all use a little change.
Go.
Go!
I hit the ground running.
I need to get myself away from
all
the rules and
this place.
So what’s wrong with
the
streets?
Your
concept
is
cool.
What’s wrong with
the
streets?
If you don’t
live for fun,
your
star
don’t glow.
Somebody once told me
my world’s
a
game
and
only shooting
rock
is gold.
I said yep, what a
game;
Didn’t make sense not to live for fun.
I could use a little
myself.
You’re
on.
Shooting
the ice.
“You’re
taking
now?”
“But
that’s the way I like it…”
“Your head gets dumb.”
“How about yours?”
“I ain’t
gonna
break the mold.
And I’ll never get bored.”
You
fed
the
glow.
Game on.
Now wait ’til
all that glitters.
It gets colder.
We skate
back
to
the
meteor,
but
might as well
only
break the
satellite.
All that glitters is
on
show.
All that glitters is gold.
And all that glitters is
gas,
so
all that glitters is
on fire.
Only
fuel.
Judging by the hole in
your head
You’ll never know
the shape of
years.
You’re bundled up,
and
getting pretty thin;
you get older
and
shed.
The
brain
gets dumb,
the world is
all
sharp.
Go play;
break
your
thumb.
Break the mold.
Somebody once asked, could I
“Est-
S-
S-
Spare some change?”
She was looking kind of dumb,
and they say
her
brain
didn’t make sense.
The mold.
You
beg
for
gold.
Gold.
You’ll never know if
you’ll
get paid.
Never shine if you
don’t
swim
in
shooting stars.
Now, you’re a
play-
tool,
fed to
the years,
and they don’t stop coming.
So
much
coming.
Hey, now,
roll,
get
with
men,
get paid.
Hey, now,
finger-
mold
an “L” on
her.
Get paid.
Hey, now,
start coming.
Shooting stars.
Get paid.
“Hey.”
“Hey,
get
on,
you’re an All Star.
Get
on.
You’re a Rock Star.”
(You’re
only
a Rock Star
if
I
get the show on.)
“Hey, now,
Hey, now,
Hey!”
You’re
shooting
and
it
gets
on
me.
The water’s getting warm.
“Rock Star.”
Get
coming and
go
to
your
star
place;
“You’re an…
an…
an…
…”
The show
gets
gold,
So you
don’t go.
Get the show,
get
gold,
and
stars.
Go
get your
star.
To do
so much,
To see
so much.
You’ll never shine.
And
the
stars?
Only
a
picture
in
her forehead.
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Somebody once told me the world is gonna roll me
I ain’t the sharpest tool in the shed
She was looking kind of dumb with her finger and her thumb
In the shape of an “L” on her forehead
Well, the years start coming and they don’t stop coming
Fed to the rules and I hit the ground running
Didn’t make sense not to live for fun
Your brain gets smart but your head gets dumb
So much to do, so much to see
So what’s wrong with taking the back streets?
You’ll never know if you don’t go
You’ll never shine if you don’t glow
Hey, now, you’re an All Star, get your game on, go play
Hey, now, you’re a Rock Star, get the show on, get paid
And all that glitters is gold
Only shooting stars break the mold
It’s a cool place and they say it gets colder
You’re bundled up now wait ’til you get older
But the meteor men beg to differ
Judging by the hole in the satellite picture
The ice we skate is getting pretty thin
The water’s getting warm so you might as well swim
My world’s on fire. How about yours?
That’s the way I like it and I’ll never get bored.
Hey, now, you’re an All Star, get your game on, go play
Hey, now, you’re a Rock Star, get the show on, get paid
And all that glitters is gold
Only shooting stars break the mold
Hey, now, you’re an All Star, get your game on, go play
Hey, now, you’re a Rock Star, get the show on, get paid
And all that glitters is gold
Only shooting stars break the mold
Somebody once asked could I spare some change for gas
I need to get myself away from this place
I said yep, what a concept
I could use a little fuel myself
And we could all use a little change
Well, the years start coming and they don’t stop coming
Fed to the rules and I hit the ground running
Didn’t make sense not to live for fun
Your brain gets smart but your head gets dumb
So much to do, so much to see
So what’s wrong with taking the back streets?
You’ll never know if you don’t go
You’ll never shine if you don’t glow.
Hey, now, you’re an All Star, get your game on, go play
Hey, now, you’re a Rock Star, get the show on, get paid
And all that glitters is gold
Only shooting stars break the mold
And all that glitters is gold
Only shooting stars break the mold
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